Twin pail



G. W. TODD Aug. 18, 1953 TWIN PAIL Filed March 8, 1952 FIG.5

FIG.4'

FIG.3

D D m T w m. v /M m %f 0% E G ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1953 TWIN PAIL George W. Todd, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 8, 1952, Serial No. 275,631

3 Claims.

This invention relates to twin pails of the type in general household use and is more particularly concerned with a twin pail construction such that the individual pails may be detached from each other and used individually or used together as a double unit.

Conventional twin pails in which the pails are permanently attached to each other and to a centrally located carrying handle are widely used for household purposes such as scrubbing where one pail may hold soapy water or water containing a detergent and the other clear rinse water. It is convenient for the user to be able to transport both pails simultaneously by one handle. However, conventional twin pails are inconvenient to use where only one is filled with liquid since the load is then unbalanced on the handle located between the pails. Likewise, it is impossible to empty out the contents of one unit of a conventional twin pail without at the same time emptying the other unit. It is an object, therefore, of my invention to provide a twin pail which may be used in the same fashion as a conventional twin pail but which may also be separated into its component units which may then be used independently of each other. It is another object to provide means for readily locking individual units together to form a twin pail and for unlocking and disengaging such units.

A present preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the attached figures to which reference is now made.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a twin pail constructed according to my invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the twin pail of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail showing the handle construction of one unit of the articles of Figures 1 and 2 viewed from inside the pail.

Figure 4 is a cross section through the handle member taken on the plane IV-IV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the handle member of Figure 1.

The article of my invention comprises two pail units designated generally as I and 2 respectively. Pail unit I is formed with a generally flat bottom 5 and a curved wall 6 which, however, is provided with a flat portion 1. The wall -6 may include corrugations t. The bottom 5 and wall 6 are preferably formed of sheet metal such as steel protected from rusting by a coating of zinc. A swinging bail 8 is pivotally mounted on the wall 6 by ears or lugs 9 and I0. To the flat side I of wall 6 is attached an upstanding handle member designated generally as II, formed with upright members I3 and Hi and a hollow transverse generally cylindrical member I5. The lower surface of member I5 is provided with slots I8 and I9 which are elongated in the direction of the central axis of member I5.

Pail unit 2 is likewise formed with a generally fiat bottom 2| and curved side wall 22 provided with a flat section 23. Wall 22 may likewise embody corrugations M. A swinging bail 25 is pivotally attached to side wall 22 by cars or lugs 26 and 21. To the fiat section 23 of side wall 22 is affixed an upstanding handle member designated generally as 30, formed with upright portions BI and 32 and a transverse member 33. This handle 36 may be affixed to wall 23 by rivets as or other means. Member 33 is formed with a lower surface which is convex downward and an upper surface which is concave upward, of a contour fitting that of cylindrical member I5. Member 33, however, forms not more than half a cylinder so that member I5 may rest in it or be removed from it without difficulty. Member 33 is likewise provided with a pair of upstanding projections or lugs 31 and 38 which are positioned and dimensioned to extend upwardly into the elongated slots I8 and I9 respectively of member l5 when the latter rests in member 33. It will be observed from Figure 3 that handle member 30 is so formed that the hand of the user can be inserted between uprights 3| and 32 and underneath its lateral portion 33 so as to grasp member .33. Handle member II is likewise formed so that the hand of the user may grasp member I5. When pails I and 2 are assembled as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hand of the user extends through the opening in both handles II and 30 and engages member I5, which is nested in member 33, as well as member 33.

When the twin pail of my invention is used as a single unit, it may be transported by the combined handles II and 30. The hand of the user holds element 33 of handle 36 in contact with element I5 of handle I I and as lugs 3! and 38 of element 33 project into the interior of hollow element I5 through the elongated slots I8 and I9 respectively in the under surface of element I5, the two pails cannot become accidently disengaged. However, if the user wishes to use one or both units individually he need only set the pails on any supporting surface any remove his hand from their combined handles, after which pail unit I may be lifted vertically by means of swinging bail 8 until slots I8 and I9 are clear of lugs 31 and .38 respectively. This completely separates the two pail units and each may then be carried individually by its own swinging bail. The two pail units may be combined into a single twin pail unit again by reversing this procedure.

It will be understood that handle member l5 need not be cylindrical in shape and that lugs l8 and I9 and slots 3i and 32 need not be of the exact shape shown. Handle member l5 and 33 should be shaped to fit together, however, and the mating slots and lugs shaped and positioned to prevent lateral and axial movement of members i5 and 33 when engaged. The limits of my invention are to be found in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A twin pail comprising first and second pails each capable of independent use and each provided with an upstanding handle on the side thereof projecting above the rim thereof and including a horizontal member adapted to be grasped by the hand of the user, the horizontal member 01 the first pail handle being hollow, substantially cylindrical in shape and provided with an elongated opening in its lower surface, and the horizontal member of the second pail handle having a curved upper surface engaging and enclosing a lower surface portion of the first pail handle and provided with an upstandin projection fitting into the elongated opening of the first handle member and extending into the hollow interior of that handle member.

2. A twin pail comprising first and second pails each capable of independent use, each of generally circular plan but provided with a flat area on one side thereof and an upstanding handle attached to this fiat area projecting above the rim thereof and including a horizontal member adapted to be grasped by the hand of the user, the horizontal member of the first pail handle having convex upper and lower surfaces and being provided with a slot in its lower surface, and the horizontal member of the second pail handle having a convex lower surface and a concave upper surface engaging the lower surface of the horizontal member of the first pail handle and provided with an upstanding lug fitting into the slot of the first pail handle member.

3. A twin pail comprising first and second pails each capable of independent use and each provided with an upstanding handle on the side thereof projecting above the rim thereof, comprising a pair of spaced upright members supporting a horizontal member adapted to be grasped by the hand of the user, the horizontal member of the first pail handle being provided with an elongated opening, and the horizontal member of the second pail handle being provided with a projection fitting into said elongated openmg.

GEORGE W. TODD.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS Number 

